Passengers happier when they can track their baggage

Airlines and airports can boost passengers satisfaction by giving customers the comfort of knowing the location of their checked baggage. A global survey by information technology group SITA shows that more than one in four passengers used their mobile device to receive status updates on their baggage at arrival in 2018. This was up from 14 percent in 2017. Satisfaction among travelers who used their mobile to receive luggage updates was 8.6 percent higher than those who didn’t. In fact, those who relied on voice or screen announcements ranked baggage collection as one of the lowest points of their journey. Airlines and airports have started to track checked luggage more closely as a way to reduce mishandling and loss. READ First American biometric boarding trial starts in LA Many are providing this information to passengers. “As we have seen from the survey, this service has a tremendously positive impact on passengers’ airport experience,’’ SITA director of baggage Peter Drummond said. “It provides a significant positive boost to the way they perceive their travel while reducing anxiety around baggage.” Drummond noted the survey had found people were checking in more bags. More than 4.3 billion bags were checked in by passengers globally in 2018, an average of 1.2 bags per person compared to 1.08 bags in 2017. “This is an average of 1.2 bags per person, up from 1.08 bags per passenger in 2017. The rise in checked baggage is likely to drive demand for more services as passengers want to know where their bags are at all times,’’ he said. Mishandled baggage rates have been improving despite the strong growth in passenger numbers and have dropped by about 70 percent in the last decade. SITA’s 2018 global baggage survey showed the mishandled bag rate improved 2.8 percent in 2017 to 5.57 bags per 1000 passengers. The total number of mishandled bags was up 4.1 percent compared to 2016 but this was lower than the 7.1 percent rise in passenger numbers. On a regional basis, the US mishandled baggage rate fell to an all-time low of 2.4 per 1000, despite operational challenges from hurricanes and Atlanta’s power outage.